Process of making water-gas.



C. E. WHITE.

WTBR GAS.

Patented sept.28,1909.

ESS 0F MAKING TION A T7' @RNE 1.

N No@ 'Zw/Em' @SWW VE T Zar m fffffffffffffffffffffffffff c n UNITED STATES PATENT ortica.

i CHARLES E. WHITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, c.'I?1I.]Il\l'1\l'S YLVANIA.

Paocnvss or MAKING WATER-GAS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WHITE, a citizen of the Unitedl States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usefulProcess of Making Water-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

Theprincipal object of the present invention is to provide afor the continuous production of Water gas, either carbureted or not as desired, in a comparatively inexpensive, efficient and reliable manner.

To this and otherV ends hereinafter se forth the invention stated in'generalterms comprises the process which consists in electrically heating a mass ofrefractory material and at the same time passing steam or water through the same, with or Without the introduction of a suitable hydrocarbon.

For the sake of a description of the invention reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1, is a view principally in central section illustrating one form of apparatus by means of which the process can be practiced, and Fig. 2, is a similar view illustrating a modification.

In the drawings 1, is a'mass of refractory material toWhich heat is continuously ap-v plied electrically. The refractory material is carbon or material of like character, coke being an example. The continuous application of heat is important because it permits of the continuous manufacture of gas, thereby enabling a comparatively small plant to produce more gas than it could do by thel present method of intermittently blowing up a fire and then passing steam through its Furthermore by electric heating the heat can be concentrated Within the mass .of refractory material With comparatively little loss, the only material loss being due to radiation. This mass of refractory material 1, is shown as contained Within a suitable housing or casing 2.

3, are means consisting of a Valved pipe for introducing steam or Water vapor to the mass of rgefractory material and 4, is a pipe for taking off the gas generated. 6, 7, and 8, yindicateelectrodes by means of Which and their connections, the mass `of refractory material is electrically heated. Rheostats 9 are shown forv 'controlling the application of the current to the electrodes.

specification of Letters Patent.' Patented Sept. 28, 1909. Application 1e. Janua.ry .26, 1909. Serial No. 474,209. i

scribed apparatus, current is continuously applied and it heats the mass of refractory material and keeps it heated to theproper temperature. Through this mass of refractory material, While heat is being electrically applied thereto, steam or water vapor is continuously passed; and. in passing thel steam or Water vapor is decomposed and the re.- sultant gas is led out as from the outlet 4l. The heat of the refractory material may, since it is electrically applied, be accurately controlled. If desired hydrocarbon may be introduced by Way of the connection 14 or 15, or both, and if desired, that part of the refractory material through which the hydrocarbon vapor or gas passes along with the gas already described, may ,be heated to a different temperature from the rest of the refractory material. For example, it may not be so highly heated. In other Words, it is possible to so'heat (different port-ions of the mass of refractory material that the steam or Water Vapor is decomposed by a highly heated part of the mixture and the resulting gas along With hydrocarbon is passed through a portion of the refractory material Which is not so highly heated.l The heating of different parts ofthe refractory material to dierent temperat-ures may be accomplished by means of the current density at such parts, which can be' controlled by means of the rheostats, or this result can be accomplished by appropriately selecting different refractory material for the different zones. This arrangement sis shown in different from the refractory material 1", in such particulars that the current density 1s Fig. 2, in which the refractory material l is different ino the two portions; for` example,

` the part 1b may be hotter than the part 1a.

The refractory material may consist of carbon as coke, and the required difference in material, heating portions of said mass to different temperatures by the application of different current densities thereto, and passing Water vapor or steam. through the Whole mass and hydrocarbon through a portion of the mass While being electrically heated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto .20 signed my name.

CHARLES E. WHITE.

Witnesses:

CLIFFORD K. CAssEL, FRANK E. FRENCH. 

